I rise to address the Fighting Antisemitism and Keeping Guns out of the Hands of Terrorists and Criminals Amendment Bill. It is part of a methodical, deliberate and measured response by the Crisafulli government to the devastating terrorist attack we saw on Jewish Australians in Bondi late last year. That act of evil tragically took the lives of 15 innocent people attending a Hanukkah celebration with their community and it sent shockwaves throughout the rest of Australia. This horrific event should never have occurred on Australian shores and it is the duty of both federal and state governments to ensure it does not happen again.
We are taking strong action to tackle the scourge of anti-Semitism across Queensland communities and ensure that firearms do not fall into the hands of terrorists and criminals. The Minister for Police has taken a considered approach in drafting this legislation, without rushing to seek a convenient announcement, in favour of targeted measures that will stamp out anti-Semitism and illicit firearms at their root. Addressing such serious issues cannot be done in a rushed manner and a large proportion of the feedback I have received on this bill from my community reflected that view.
As part of the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee, I had the opportunity to scrutinise the bill in detail and hear from a range of stakeholders across the state. The committee held hearings in Townsville and in Brisbane and asked questions of several witnesses with differing views on the proposed legislation. Of particular interest to many of the stakeholders was the new and strengthened offences relating to symbols and expressions. Regarding symbols, we are strengthening the framework in chapter 7A of the Criminal Code Act by allowing the minister to prescribe particular organisations, classes of organisations or state sponsors of terrorism or terrorist organisations that are
already listed by the Australian government so that they are recognised as prescribed organisations in Queensland. There have been reported incidents of flags being flown at pro Palestine marches across the country which appear to be associated with terrorist organisations. With the new laws, the minister will have greater scope to act on these incidents and prevent the display of terrorist symbols on Australian soil, along with increased maximum penalties for offenders.
I have seen the impact that anti-Semitic slogans and expressions can have on Jewish Australians living in our communities. Just last month I was contacted by a distressed local who was shocked to see an offensive phrase graffitied on a bus stop along one of the busiest roads in the Capalaba electorate. This constituent acted immediately and removed this disgusting graffiti themselves to prevent other locals from having to see it. The intent of this type of vandalism is clear: to menace, harass and offend Jewish people in their local community as they go about their daily lives. Phrases that call for the violent removal of Jews from their homeland in Israel which have been used at hundreds of protests across the country are completely unacceptable in our society. Australia is the most tolerant nation in the world. We were founded on the notion of a fair go for everyone, with the ability to live our lives without persecution. Every Queenslander has the right to feel safe, without being harassed or intimidated because of their identity. I know that restoring safety in our local communities has been a No. 1 priority for this government.
Under the new legislation, the minister will proscribe two expressions, which are regularly used to incite discrimination, hostility or violence towards the Jewish community, as prohibited expressions. This comes in alongside a new criminal offence for the public recitation, distribution, publication or public display of a prohibited expression. This encompasses both written and spoken use of expressions, including chants or placards at a protest. The bill recognises the serious harm that this conduct can cause and sets the maximum penalty at two years imprisonment in line with the increased penalty for prohibited symbols. Importantly, the offences for both symbols and expressions are subject to a non-exhaustive list of reasonable excuses set out in the Criminal Code. These reasonable excuses act as protection for legitimate activities, which include artistic, religious, educational, law enforcement or
public interest purposes, as well as the use of a prohibited expression or symbol to oppose the ideology which it represents.
Regarding the second part of this legislation, the police minister has been clear from the outset: these laws will not target law-abiding firearm owners. We will not allow gun owners to become a punching bag and bear the brunt of a kneejerk reaction. We will not be taking the heavy-handed approach of a gun buyback scheme. I have had conversations with countless local residents in Capalaba who have been concerned that their rights as firearm owners who follow all of the necessary requirements would be taken away by a government that wants a convenient policy announcement. That is not what these laws will do. The changes included within this bill are common sense and have the support of advocacy groups, like the new requirement for a Queensland weapons licence holder to be an Australian citizen. What these laws will do, and what we will be unapologetic in doing, is curb the access that terrorists and criminals have to firearms, which can be used to carry out acts of violence that harm Queenslanders.
A key part of this crackdown is the introduction of a new offence relating to the use of firearms in drive-by shootings, which will carry a maximum sentence of 16 years. This penalty can be elevated to 20 years if the target of the attack is a place of worship, if the attack is motivated by hate for an individual or group, or if the offender is a participant in a criminal organisation. A firm stance is necessary to ensure that incredibly dangerous offences like this can no longer menace or harm Queenslanders.
We are also introducing new offences that prohibit the possession and distribution of blueprint material for the manufacture of 3D printed firearms. 3D printed firearms are a serious and growing concern within this space, as they are able to be created at home without the approval or knowledge of authorities. Furthermore, the serious offence of stealing firearms is one that poses an enormous threat to public safety, especially when the stolen guns are used to commit additional offences. We are raising the maximum sentence for stealing firearms or ammunition from 10 years to 14 years and will omit the current aggravation circumstance which required the firearm to be intended for use in further offences.
Tackling the issue of firearm theft is something which received very strong support from advocacy organisations and individual owners during the committee process, including indications that they would back the changes with awareness campaigns through their membership networks.
These changes are a direct response to the worst terrorist attack that has happened on Australian shores. Queenslanders rightly called for action on the rising tide of anti-Semitism that had Jewish people feeling unsafe in their homes, workplaces, university campuses and places of worship. Measures to crack down on hate symbols and expressions will improve social cohesion and lower the temperature of debate around foreign conflicts. We know that Queenslanders also wanted commonsense changes to gun laws that make our communities safer without unfairly targeting lawful firearm owners. We listened and the Crisafulli government is delivering. The methodical and intentional way in which this bill was drafted ensures that these changes will directly target the real problems Queenslanders are facing. These changes will make Queensland safer. I commend the bill to the House.